Sarmiento wants closer ties between LGUs

With Mel Senen Sarmiento as head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local government units can no longer implement programs without coordinating with their neighbor cities.

This is one of the changes Sarmiento will enforce in his nine-month stint at the department.

Speaking at the recent Pulong Bulungan at the Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, the former lawmaker said there has been a glaring “division” of cities that results in contradicting programs, specifically in drainage, traffic and security plans.

“Pagdating sa traffic, pagdating sa drainage, isa lang po dapat ang plano. Eh, ang problema po dito, hindi nagtutugma-tugma ang mga LGUs kasi hindi sila nag-uusap (When it comes to traffic and drainage, there should be only one plan. The problem is these plans contradict each other because LGU officials do not coordinate with each other),” Sarmiento said.

The DILG chief said city planning officers should attend a workshop to harmonize their plans. The same scheme, he said, was implementing in Vancouver district in Canada.
“Sana iisa ang plano sa buong Metro Manila. Hindi nagkakanya-kanya (There should be only one plane for Metro Manila),” he added.

Sarmiento said he will continue the advocacies of former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, who was his friend since the two of them became mayors in 2001.

Also, Sarmiento urged city mayors to honor the police officers who have done well in their
communities.

He cited the recent hostage-taking in Taft Avenue, Manila and the car theft incident in Payatas, Quezon City where police operatives killed the suspects.